CHAPTER NO 15
The Road of Shadow
The dawn came slow and bruised, its light thin and cold as if even the sun feared to touch the land of vampires. The mist still hung heavy over the forest when Selene and Nyra began their journey toward the capital. Their horses moved in silence through the dew and dead leaves.
Selene kept her eyes on the road. Every now and then, she looked at the princess who rode ahead tall, sharp, unreadable. The silver edge of Nyra's armor gleamed faintly in the pale morning.
The events beneath the Moon veil Lake still echoed inside her. The Mirror Queen's words haunted her: "One of you must die."
She wanted to ask what it meant, but the weight of the prophecy lay like a shadow between them.
Finally, she gathered her courage."Nyra… do you believe her? That one of us will die?"
The princess did not look back. "I believe that fate is cruel. But I don't intend to obey it."
Selene's voice was small. "And if fate refuses to change?"
Nyra's lips curved, not into a smile, but something close. "Then we'll break it."
The wind rose, scattering the scent of rain and pine through the air. For a long time, neither of them spoke again.
By nightfall, they reached the edge of the Obsidian Pass, where the mountains bent like black spears toward the sky. Strange blue fire burned in the cracks of the earth, lighting their path.
Selene shivered. "It's beautiful… but frightening."
"This place remembers blood," Nyra said softly. "A war began here once. Between humans and us."
Selene looked down at her hands so pale they almost glowed. "Am I… human?"
Nyra's head turned sharply. Her crimson eyes met Selene's sapphire ones. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," Selene whispered. "Since the lake… I've felt different. Stronger. But also… hungry."
Nyra dismounted her horse and walked closer. The wind caught her cloak, and for a moment she looked less like a princess and more like a phantom of the night. She reached out, her fingers brushing Selene's wrist.
"You carry my mark," Nyra said quietly. "It connects us. It might be changing you."
Selene's heart quickened. "Is that… bad?"
Nyra's gaze softened. "Not bad. Dangerous."
Later that night, they made camp by a dying stream. Selene sat close to the fire, its warmth flickering across her face. Nyra stood at the edge of the circle, watching the stars that never seemed to die in this world.
"Nyra," Selene said after a long silence, "when you saw the other versions of us in the mirrors… what did you see?"
The princess didn't turn. "I saw peace," she said. "But I also saw it burn away."
Selene looked into the fire. "Maybe peace isn't what we're meant for."
Nyra finally turned, her red eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "And what are we meant for, Selene?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she stood and walked closer, until she could see her own reflection in Nyra's eyes. "To change what shouldn't be."
The wind stirred between them, carrying the faint scent of roses or blood.
Then, faintly, from the trees beyond the firelight came a low whisper.
"Princess… the Council knows."
Nyra's sword flashed free, gleaming red in the flame. A shadow moved from the darkness one of her own guards, trembling and pale.
"They know about the human girl," he said. "They know she carries the mark."
Selene's chest tightened.
Nyra's voice turned to steel. "And what do they intend?"
The guard looked up, his eyes full of pity. "They've ordered her execution."
The world went still. Even the fire seemed to hold its breath.
Selene didn't speak. She only looked at Nyra, waiting for the words that never came.
Finally, the princess lowered her sword. "Then we run," she said.
The guard's eyes widened. "Run? My Lady.
Nyra silenced him with a single glance. "Tell them you never found us."
The guard hesitated then nodded once and disappeared into the forest.
Selene took a step closer, her voice barely a whisper. "You'd risk everything… for me?"
Nyra turned toward her, her expression unreadable, yet her eyes burned like stars. "It isn't a risk. It's a choice."
Selene felt something rise inside her not fear, but faith. For the first time, she wasn't running from her curse. She was running with it.
As the moon climbed higher, they mounted their horses once more and rode into the night, shadows chasing behind them.
The prophecy had shifted. The war was beginning.
And somewhere, far beyond the horizon, the Blood Moon stirred — waiting.